Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Helio and Peggy Pereira Pavillion-Ground Floor-Room B09, FIOCRUZ Av. Brasil, Manguinhos, 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 210360-040, Brazil.
Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Oswald Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Arch Virol. 2020 Apr;165(4):913-922. doi: 10.1007/s00705-020-04540-7. Epub 2020 Feb 20.
Little information is available regarding the prevalence of viral hepatitis in Central West Argentina. This study aims to give new information regarding HBV and HCV prevalence, genotypes, and risk factors in Central West Argentina and the suitability of dried blood spot (DBS) sampling for HBV and HCV screening.
A total of 622 individuals were included; the mean age was 36.6 ± 14.3 years and 55.4% were females. HBV and HCV markers were detected using serological and molecular analysis, and risk factors were evaluated using statistical analysis.
Using serum samples, the HBsAg prevalence was 1.8%, the rate of HBV exposure (anti-HBc positivity) was 5.3%, and the rate of HBV immunity was 34.9%. HBV DNA was found in four out of 11 HBsAg samples, and the viruses in three of these samples were classified as genotypes A1, A2 and F2a. Multivariate analysis showed that anti-HBs positivity was associated with the level of schooling and history of HBV vaccination. The anti-HCV prevalence was 2.6%, and HCV RNA was found in 11 samples, seven of which contained viruses of genotypes 1a (n = 2), 1b (n = 3) and 2 (n = 2). The sensitivity of the DBS assay for HBsAg, anti-HBc, and anti-HCV was 100%, 66.6%, and 75%, respectively, and the specificity was above 98% for all markers when compared to serum.
A low rate of HBV immunity was observed, demonstrating the importance of HBV vaccination. High HCV prevalence was found, and HCV 1b was closely related to other Argentinian isolates. Finally, the performance of DBS testing in this population needs more optimization to increase its sensitivity and specificity.
本研究旨在提供有关阿根廷中西部地区 HBV 和 HCV 流行率、基因型和危险因素的新信息，以及干血斑 (DBS) 采样在 HBV 和 HCV 筛查中的适用性。
共纳入 622 名个体，平均年龄为 36.6 ± 14.3 岁，55.4%为女性。使用血清学和分子分析检测 HBV 和 HCV 标志物，并使用统计分析评估危险因素。
使用血清样本，HBsAg 流行率为 1.8%，HBV 暴露率（抗-HBc 阳性）为 5.3%，HBV 免疫率为 34.9%。在 11 份 HBsAg 样本中发现了 4 份 HBV DNA，其中 3 份病毒分类为基因型 A1、A2 和 F2a。多变量分析显示，抗-HBs 阳性与受教育程度和 HBV 疫苗接种史有关。抗-HCV 流行率为 2.6%，在 11 份样本中发现了 HCV RNA，其中 7 份含有基因型 1a (n = 2)、1b (n = 3)和 2 (n = 2)的病毒。DBS 检测法检测 HBsAg、抗-HBc 和抗-HCV 的灵敏度分别为 100%、66.6%和 75%，与血清相比，所有标志物的特异性均高于 98%。
HBV 免疫率较低，表明 HBV 疫苗接种的重要性。HCV 流行率较高，1b 型与其他阿根廷分离株密切相关。最后，需要进一步优化 DBS 检测在该人群中的性能，以提高其灵敏度和特异性。
